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Police hunt man seen 'carrying gun' at Liverpool nursery Police hunt man seen 'carrying gun' at Liverpool nursery
(35 minutes later)
Police are hunting for a man who walked into a nursery in Liverpool carrying what appeared to be a gun.Police are hunting for a man who walked into a nursery in Liverpool carrying what appeared to be a gun.
Merseyside police were called to Childsplay nursery, in Wavertree, shortly after 8.10am on Tuesday after reports of a man with a gun. Children were reportedly hurried to safety after the alleged gunman entered Childsplay nursery in Wavertree when it opened at about 8.10am on Wednesday.
The force said a man walked into the nursery “carrying what appeared to be a firearm” and approached him before he fled with a second man on a motorbike. No shots were fired and no one was injured in the incident, Merseyside police said. The suspect approached a man inside the building before fleeing on a motorbike with an accomplice.
A police spokesman said: “We can confirm officers were this morning called to reports a man had entered a nursery carrying what appeared to be a firearm. Detectives said the incident was “targeted” and that the gunman was believed to have been looking for another man who was in the building at the time.
“The man, who approached another man in the nursery at the time, was described as holding what appeared to be a firearm. The offender then left with a second man on a motorbike. No one is reported to have been injured and there is no suggestion a firearm was discharged. No shots were fired and no one was injured in the incident at Childsplay on Heathfield road in Wavertree, Merseyside police said.
“Police are in attendance at the nursery to offer reassurance to pupils and parents and crime scene investigators are carrying out forensic examinations at the scene. House-to-house inquiries are being conducted in the area and high-visibility patrols have been stepped up to reassure the public.” The nursery, which looks after 123 children aged from three months to five years, remained sealed off behind police tape as forensics officers entered the premises.
Parents arriving to pick up their children said they were horrified to think what could have happened and thankful no one was injured.
One mother with two sons, aged two and four, told the Liverpool Echo: “I’ve been on edge. I’m scared that they will come back. As far as I am aware it was targeted. I think it’s cowardly that they waited for the children to go in.
“I feel sorry for the nursery. I am sure my children haven’t been affected and they were moved to another room inside. But it’s not nice to know my children were inside when that was happening. I feel sorry for the nursery too, because this will give them a bad reputation.”
Merseyside police said patrols had been stepped up in the area to reassure the public in Wavertree, which is three miles east of Liverpool city centre.
DCI John Webster said: “I’m sure the vast majority of people in the community will be appalled to find that two men have walked into a nursery reportedly carrying a firearm when children and their parents were arriving at the start of the day.
“We look to the community to help us by providing information to bring those responsible to justice. We need to identify the people responsible and put them before the courts before they cause any further harm in our communities.”
He added: “This is another reminder that criminals involved in gun crime have no regard for anyone else and I would urge the local community to come together to help us take a stand against the use of firearms and violence on our streets and report anything they saw or heard to us so we can take action.
“If anyone witnessed the men before or after the incident, or saw anything suspicious that could help us investigate this incident, then please contact our gun crime hotline on 0800 230 0600 or leave information anonymously with Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.”